There is no peace without justice

I had the pleasure of going and seeing John M. Perkins speak at George Fox University's Center for Peace and Justice. Perkins is a remarkable character and it was wonderful to see him face to face. You can read more about Dr. Perkins on his website here. I was able to hear Dr. Perkins speak on two occasions; one night he spoke about 50 years of highs and lows of reconciliation ministry and the next afternoon I took part in a small group discussion about his new book he co-authored with Shane Claiborne titled Follow me to Freedom: Leading and Following as an Ordinary Radical. After both occasions I was able to speak with Dr. Perkins about our heart for our neighborhood as well as some obvious racial reconciliation issues that are present in our racially diverse community. Listening to Dr. Perkins speak was a high-point in my own walk.

Here are a few of the stand-out points I wrote down from his message:

• He left his job 51 years ago and has not worked for a paycheck since. He "has lived at the absolute mercy of both his Friend (meaning Jesus) and his friends."
• Repetitively made it a point to mention that we must be "doers of the word not just hearers."
• As believers we use the Holy Spirit to try to heal our personal selves rather than to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us all together collectively to be the Kingdom.
• Injustice is simply when we don't affirm the image of God in others.
• "We have deified Capitalism. It's a good system, but it's not divine."
• Speaking about divisive politics: "We have consolidated hatred in a language of division."
• As a church we no longer have a prophetic voice that would call out power to meet the needs of the people and break the chains of injustice because we have come to accept the system.
• Our best approach may be to lower our own voice so that others will be forced to lower theirs.
• We all need friendship because their is something in you that is missing in me.
• Suffering is redemptive.
• Our religion has become, to many, a superficial therapy.
• We can't have peace without justice.